Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
94HAVANA2542
1994-04-20 21:01:00
CONFIDENTIAL
US Interests Section Havana
Cable title:  

RUMORS OF CASTRO'S ILL HEALTH -- UPDATE

Tags:  PGOV CU 
pdf how-to read a cable
O 202101Z APR 94
FM USINT HAVANA
TO SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 9311
INFO COMNAVBASE GUANTANAMO BAY
C O N F I D E N T I A L HAVANA 002542 


FOR ARACCA -- DENNIS HAYS

E.O. 12356: OADR:DECL
TAGS: PGOV CU
SUBJECT: RUMORS OF CASTRO'S ILL HEALTH -- UPDATE

REF: A) HAVANA 2484; B) HAVANA 2455; C) FBIS 201404Z APR 94

C O N F I D E N T I A L HAVANA 002542


FOR ARACCA -- DENNIS HAYS

E.O. 12356: OADR:DECL
TAGS: PGOV CU
SUBJECT: RUMORS OF CASTRO'S ILL HEALTH -- UPDATE

REF: A) HAVANA 2484; B) HAVANA 2455; C) FBIS 201404Z APR 94


1. CONFIDENTIAL -- ENTIRE TEXT.


2. THE STATUS OF THE RUMORS REGARDING CASTRO'S HEALTH:
THE RUMOR HAS SPREAD TO MUCH OF THE HAVANA POPULATION
AND COMES IN TWO VARIATIONS: THAT CASTRO HAS AN
ISCHEMIA OF THE BRAIN AND THE OTHER, THAT THIS WAS
BROUGHT ON BY AN ATTEMPT ON HIS LIFE. ONE VERSION OF
THE RUMOR HAS IT THAT CASTRO CANNOT BE MOVED BECAUSE OF
THE SERIOUSNESS OF THE ILLNESS, BUT THAT CIMEQ HOSPITAL
HAS BEEN PREPARED FOR HIM ONCE HIS CONDITION
STABILIZES. (THIS WOULD IN EFFECT RESOLVE THE
DIFFERENCES BETWEEN RUMORS THAT WE HAD HEARD REFS A,B.)


3. RAUL CASTRO HAS BEEN FEATURED FAR MORE PROMINENTLY
IN THE CUBAN MEDIA IN THE LAST FEW DAYS, INCLUDING HIS
SPEECH IN GUANTANAMO OVER THE WEEKEND AND A FRONT PAGE
PHOTO IN THE APRIL 20 GRANMA, WITH ANOTHER STORY ON THE
BACKPAGE. (RAUL SOMETIMES GETS FRONT PAGE COVERAGE, BUT
IT IS UNUSUAL FOR HIM TO GET SO MUCH ATTENTION IN THE
SAME EDITION.) ONE OTHER ODDITY: IN THE APRIL 20
"DOING RADIO" PROGRAM ON RADIO REBELDE (REF C),MIAMI
CORRESPONDENT MARCOS CASTELLO NOTES HOW THE EXILE
COMMUNITY IS TRYING TO "MAR THE LEGITIMACY" OF THIS
WEEKEND'S DIALOGUE. AS AN EXAMPLE, HE REPORTED THAT
THERE WERE REPORTS IN MIAMI THAT THERE WAS "AN ALLEGED
PROBLEM" WITH CASTRO AND THAT "A HOSPITAL HAS BEEN TAKEN
OVER."


4. WE HOPE TO HEAR FROM OUR ACTIVIST CONTACTS WITHIN
THE NEXT DAY OR TWO.

SULLIVAN